Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, & Justin Paul

Pages: 358

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Contemporary

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language, violence, and mature scenes.

The Inside Cover

When a letter that was never meant to be seen draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over the loss of their son, Evan is given the chance of a lifetime to belong. He just has to pretend that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn’t invisible anymore—even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy’s parents have taken him in like he’s their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his “closest friend.” As Evan gets pulled deeper into the family’s swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he’s doing can’t be right, but if he’s helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer incapacitated by anxiety or hiding from the disappointment in his mother’s eyes, this new Evan has a purpose. And confidence. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face-to-face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the novelization of the Broadway musical of the same name.

What’s good?

Evan is a loner who feels invisible to his classmates. Connor is a troubled young man with a bad reputation. A chance encounter between the two leads to a misunderstanding that Evan allows to get out of control. Evan is a sympathetic, relatable teen whose lies, while detrimental, are never perpetrated maliciously. The plot is simple, but thought-provoking as Evan responds to a mother’s desperate attempt to connect with her dead son and inadvertently injects himself into the lives of the grieving family. While there’s a light romance that threads through the story, the more prevalent themes are grief, truth, friendship, isolation, family dynamics and the struggle to belong. The pace is steady, and the writing is good. I liked the ending.

Best Part: Chapters written from Connor’s point of view.

What isn’t good?

The story unfolds…awkwardly. It’s not terrible, but I have a strong feeling that the story translates much differently (better) in its original stage musical form.

Worst part: Nothing is terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺ (3.5/5)

The story is strong, the characters are well-drawn, and the themes are relevant. And yet there’s something still lacking. As a novel, it doesn’t seem to gain the same momentum as the stage show. Having said that, this is still a beautiful story that deftly showcases a lonely teen’s longing to connect with the people around him. Recommended.

Emmich, Val, with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, & Justin Paul. Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel. New York: Poppy, 2018.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Pages: 306

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Novel in Verse

Notes for Parents: Contains some coarse language, violence, and mature scenes.

The Inside Cover

Sixty seconds.

Seven floors.

Three rules.

One gun.

Will’s older brother, Shawn, has been shot. Dead. Will feels a sadness so great he can’t explain it. But in his neighborhood, there are THE RULES:

No. 1: Crying

Don’t.

No matter what.

No. 2: Snitching

Don’t.

No matter what.

No. 3: Revenge

Do.

No matter what.

But bullets miss. You can get the wrong guy. And there’s always someone else who knows to follow the rules.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Long Way Down won a 2018 Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Author Honor, and Michael L. Printz Honor. 

What’s good?

This is a short but powerful story. As Will travels down the elevator, on his way to kill his brother’s murderer, he’s reminded of the people and events of his past that have influenced the person he has become. His anger and grief and desire for justice – and, not to mention, the rules – are juxtaposed with his desire for change. Authoritative and eloquently crafted, this is a well-paced, timely story of one boy’s personal struggle.

Best Part: The end.

What isn’t good?

I find it difficult to find fault in this story. If I have to find something, it would probably be that some readers won’t be able to identify with the sheer volume of tragedy Will has experienced in his short life. But this shouldn’t be a deterrent since it is by no means an unrealistic representation of life for teens in vulnerable communities.

Worst part: None.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺(4.5/5)

This was a complex story stripped down to it’s bare essentials, told in an easy to read, difficult to ignore format. It exposed the impossible choices faced by those who live with violence every day. It’s a story that shouldn’t be disregarded. Highly recommended.

Reynolds, Jason. Long Way Down. New York: Atheneum, 2017.

My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier

Pages: 335

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language, sexuality, drinking, drug use, and other mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Seventeen-year-old Che Taylor loves his younger sister, Rosa, even though she’s a textbook psychopath. He’s the only one who knows. Rosa tells him everything she’s up to because she trusts her older brother with her darkest secrets. Rosa is smart, talented, pretty, and very good at hiding what she is.

Now that their parents have moved the family to New York City, Rosa has even more opportunities to play her increasingly complex and disturbing games. Che has always protected his little sister from the world. But now he’s starting to wonder if the world might need protection from her.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This book was an Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult (2017), Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2019), Aurealis Award Nominee for Best Horror Novel (2016), and a Green Mountain Book Award Nominee (2017).

What’s good?

Che is conflicted and consumed with both love and loathing for his sister, Rosa. Rosa is disturbing and manipulative, completely lacking any desire to care about other people. It’s a troubling story that’s difficult to witness, especially since Che’s longing for normalcy is so understandable. Since their parents refuse to admit there’s anything wrong, the burden rests on Che to protect people from his apathetic sister. There are two strong and interesting female characters – Leilani and Sojourner – who provide truth and support. The story is diverse and touches on many social issues. There’s a nice twist at the end.

Best Part: Che.

What isn’t good?

This felt more like a romance with a bit of psychological thriller in it. The story moves slowly, especially the first half, because there’s a lot of telling rather than showing. The plot is fairly predictable, though there are some twists and turns that some readers may not see coming. Che’s parents are perplexing, as is their relationship with Leilani’s parents who seem entwined with each other with no strong explanation.

Worst part: The “parentals.”

Recommendation ☺☺☺ (3.5/5)

While characterization is strong, the plot is a bit weak. Rosa is an amazing (and truly disturbing) antagonist, whose strength lies in her vulnerability as a child – we never want to believe she’s truly capable of being the evil mastermind that she is. The plot, however, focusses more on the love story between Che and Sojourner than the psycho sister that threatens his sanity. Overall, it was a good read. Recommended.

Larbalestier, Justine. My Sister Rosa. New York: Soho Press, 2016.

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

Pages: 416

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Contemporary

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Alice has never believed in luck, but that doesn’t stop her from rooting for love. After pining for her best friend, Teddy, for years, she jokingly gifts him a lottery ticket—attached to a note professing her feelings—on his birthday. Then the unthinkable happens: he actually wins.

At first, it seems like the luckiest thing in the world. But as Teddy gets swept up by his $140 million windfall, fame and fortune come between them, and Alice is forced to consider whether her stroke of good fortune might have been anything but.

She bought a winning ticket. He hit the jackpot. Will they realize that true love’s the real prize?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of eight novels for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. She earned a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her work has been translated into thirty-three languages. 

What’s good?

What would you do if you won the lottery? Alice buys Teddy a lottery ticket as a lark for his 18^th birthday, but it turns out to be a winner. Teddy and his mom have always struggled financially, so winning millions is going to change him, which is what Alice is afraid of. This is a story about family, friendship, opportunity, obligation, grief, love, and change. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of Teddy’s win, and become emotionally invested in the characters and their situations. The plot is easy to understand and the pace is steady.

Best Part: Nothing really stood out.

What isn’t good?

The story was predictable; There weren’t many surprises. A few of the characters were underutilized – like Leo, Max, and Sawyer. I kept waiting for them to be important. As this was definitely a character-driven story, it’s not surprising that there wasn’t a lot of action, but I was still hoping for a little more excitement.

Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺(3.5/5)

This was a quick and easy read. The story was engaging and the characters were easy to like. It certainly made me wonder what I would do if I won that much money. Recommended.

Smith, Jennifer E., Windfall. New York: Scholastic, 2018.

Crush by Svetlana Chmakova

Pages: 235

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: Graphic novel

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Jorge seems to have it all together. He’s big enough that nobody really messes with him, but he’s also a genuinely sweet guy with a solid, reliable group of friends. The only time he ever really feels off his game is when he crosses paths with a certain girl…But when the group dynamic among the boys starts to shift, will Jorge be able to balance what his friends expect of him with what he actually wants?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the third book in the author’s award-winning Berrybrook Middle School series. Just like the other books in the series, this one follows a different group of students as they navigate life.

What’s good?

Jorge is an all-around good guy who confidently gives respect and gets respect. But he’s thrown off his game when he finds himself tongue-tied around a certain girl. As he labors to understand his own feelings, he’s also struggling to navigate the world of middle-school – tenuous friendships, peer pressure, gossip, bullying, getting hacked…the drama never seems to end. The plot is multifaceted, but easy to understand. The pace is strong and steady. The characters are realistic and relatable. As always, the author’s drawings are expressive and well done.

Best Part: Forgiveness.

What isn’t good?

I can’t think of a single negative thing to say about this graphic novel. I could nit-pick about some little things, but why do that. This novel was a job well done!

Worst part: Nothing.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☺ (5/5)

Yes! Definitely recommended! This is the third of Svetlana Chmakova’s graphic novels that I’ve read, and once again I’m awed by her ability to capture the middle school experience.

Chmakova, Svetlana. Crush. New York: JY, 2018.